“Father wanted the job more than I did,” I said with no small amount of disgust, releasing my brother and taking a step back.
Elias choked at the release and reached for the book from my grasp. “Sebastien…”
I flipped it open, barely skimming the pages as I held Elias at arm’s length. And just like that, my fears were confirmed. Ember and I had been desperately pursuing a chaotic way to break free. Trials born of an unprecedented connection between Champions. A path so clearly one of chaos that I had no doubt Eris was its architect.
Of course her sister would have a more orderly path to change. My defection must have set off another possible chain of events. These pages detailed what that path could look like. That Themis could replace me should the worst happen.
For Themis, the worst outcome had always been a Champion who put anyone and anything above her.
She was a goddess wielding both the carrot and the stick. She’d do everything she could to beat me down, to grind me into submission, because she didn’t believe in a human who could refuse her. On the other hand, she’d also lure someone into position. Lure someone like Vaddon? No, if Elias had the book, then it was for our father.
So, he wanted to make it official, crown himself Themis’s Champion as he’d always wanted.
My grip on the book went slack, and Elias grabbed it back. He tucked it safely away in the bag. “You don’t want it anyway.”
I nodded, a little dumbstruck. We were truly out of time.
I wanted to take the book back. It’d be so easy to overpower Elias and retrieve it, but if I did that, Father would know. Worse, Themis would know that I was on to her. She already hounded us with each emotion we tackled. I couldn’t imagine she’d stick to the sidelines if I thwarted her effort to replace me.
With a deep breath, I straightened my spine. I had to let him leave with the book.
“You’re right,” I said, suddenly exhausted. What would it be like to have a night alone with Ember where the kingdom wasn’t trying to destroy us? “I have to get out of here, Elias. Are you going to let me? Or do I have to knock you out?”
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I only wanted to see you, Sebastien. I know you think me weak for standing by as Father’s done…”
That was interesting. I didn’t know Elias cared. To me, it hadn’t only been that he stood by as Father stole from his people; he’d seemed wholly invested in the system.
Was that not the case?
A guard entered the doorway from the alley and shouted at my nearness to Elias. “Get away from him!”
His sword was drawn, and he sprinted toward us with a velocity that had to be enhanced with the magic of anger. I barely lifted my own sword to meet his attack.
Elias didn’t say a word as I kicked the guard’s legs out from under him and drove my sword into his chest. I turned with a final glance over myshoulder.
“Good to see you, brother,” he said before turning to walk into the tavern’s main room.
I couldn’t worry about Elias. He’d be fine. His guards would protect him. I needed to worry about myself—about getting out of the city. Then I had to find Ember and tell her that it was true. Themis could replace me.
As much as I didn’t want to pressure her on the trials we needed to complete, we were out of time.
28
You'll do everything you can to forget the requirements of receiving these pages, but they're the most important part of all of this.
— ALARIC SARE’S PAPERS FOR EMBERLINE ARKOVA
Hours later, I woke from a fitful sleep. I refolded Alaric’s papers strewn across my chest and told Charon I’d return as soon as I could. While he’d told me more than once that he was precisely where he wanted to be, I hated that it seemed like he waited for us.
“You can leave if you want to,” I said as I turned toward the cave entrance.
“We’ve discussed this, Champion. My place is here.”He harrumphed.“Even if I can’t be physically by your side within the walls ofKavios.”
I nodded. Hart had said that Charon thrived around Chaos’s magic. As the magic of the goddess left me with each trial, I wondered if that impacted Charon, too. He raised his head as I stood at the cave entrance. He looked good, healthier than when we’d first found him, the tears in his wings repaired. His scales shone even in the low light.
“This is my choice, Champion,”he said as if noticing my hesitation.
“I’ll be back soon.” With a final nod, I began the return hike to the Storm’s camp, my head a mess of information.
